Electric lamp cord retaining device



Feb. 20, 1934. L. BROSILOW ET AL ELECTRIC LAMP CORD RETAINING DEVICE Ill/ll!!! O mil/l Y Z I 0/7 ohn/ 01 052 J Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES ELECTRIC LAMP CORD RETAINING DEVICE Louis Brosilow, William Markofl', and John Orcsz, Chicago, Ill.

Application November 12, 1931 Serial No. 574,655

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in portable electric lamps, having for an object to provide a simple and practical device that may be installed in a floor or table lamp for receiving and retaining the entire length or a portion of the length of the attaching electric wire or cord with which such lamp is equipped, thereby permitting only the actual length of cord between the lamp'and the source of electricity supply to be extended, hence, avoiding the presence of an excessive amount of exposed cord, together with the many objections and disadvantages incident to such a condition.

It is also an equally important object of the invention to provide a device of the character mentioned whereby when the electric cord of the equipped lamp is not in use, as for example, during shipping, storing, etc., the same may be conveniently and practically arranged in a compact, out of the way, and orderly formation in a concealed and shielded position within the lamp base.

Yet another object of the invention resides in the provision of a lamp electric cord retaining device or such construction and design as will permit its adaption to the base of practically every prevalent type of table or floor lamp without alteration or modification thereof, and without impeding or modifying the original mode of usage of the same.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In order that the invention and its mode of operation may be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains, we have in the accompanying drawing and in the detailed description based thereupon, set out one possible embodiment of our invention.

In this drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the lower portion of a portable electric lamp showing the base of such lamp equipped with the invention.

Figure 2 is a detail in perspective of the invention, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail in section illustrating a slightly modified form of attaching the wire retaining device to the lamp base.

Having more particular reference to the drawing, in connection with which like characters of reference will designate corresponding parts throughout, we have shown for purposes of illustration only, our improved device as being adapted to a prevalent style of lamp base of truncated formation, said base being indicated, generally,

by the numeral 1, and having the flanged and basal portion 2 thereof equipped, upon its under side, with the usual supporting feet 3, said feet being of lengths to cause the flanged basal portion to be retained in a position slightly above the receiving or supporting surface. The upper end reduced portion of the base 1 is provided with the usual internally screw threaded opening 3 and a shouldered upper end, the latter receiving the tubing and other ornamental parts efiecting the lamp standard assembly, such as indicated by the numeral 4, while the screw threaded opening 3 is adapted to have the screw threaded lower end of the usual connecting pipe 5 engaged therein, the pipe, as will be understood, extending through the lamp standard assembly and affording a connecting means therefor as well as a means for attaching the upper portion of the lamp construction thereto and for receiving the usual electric wire 6. The lower end of the electric wire 6 extends into the compartment or space occurring within the base 1 and is of a length sufficient to permit the lamp to be conveniently and practically connected to a suitable source of electricity supply; the usual electrical plug connection 7 being connected to the free end of the extended 0 length of attaching wire or cord for an obvious purpose.

In order that the length of electric wire or cord extending from the connecting pipe 5 into the base 1 may be conveniently and compactly retained and paid on only as needed to effect electrical connection of the lamp with a source of electricity, we provide the construction with a drum-like bracket formed from a length of flat or strap metal 8, said drum having right angularly formed and outwardly extending fingers 9 carried by or formed integral with one marginal portion of the same.

An attaching arm 10 fixedly engages one side or an appropriate portion of the electric cord receiving drum.8, as is shown in the Figures 1 and 2, said arm being extended upwardly and disposed inwardly with respect to the drum and having the upper or free end thereof arranged in a horizontal plane, as indicated by the numeral 2 11. The outer end of the off-struck portion 11 of the arm 10 is apertured and has an externally screw threaded collar 12 fixedly arranged thereon and coinciding with said aperture, as is shown in the Figure 1. By reason of the formation and the disposition of the attaching arm 10, it will be understood that to attach the wire retaining drum 8 to a lamp base, such as indicated by the numeral 1, the externally screw threaded sleeve 12 is turned into engagement with the lower portion .1

and the wire retaining drum 8 carried thereby in a substantially immovable or attached position. Because of the inward disposition of the upwardly extending arm 10, it will be also understood that the drum 8 will be retained in a substantially horizontal position within the cup-like under side portion of the base 1 and consequently, that the length of electric cord or wire 6 extending from the pipe 5 may be wound or conveniently coiled thereabout in the fashion as indicated in the Figure .1; the outwardly extending fingers 9 serving as means for preventing vertical or downward displacement of the coiled wire or convolutions thereof.

To further insure the compact and positive retention of the coiled portions of electric wire or cord 6 about the outer peripheral surface of the drum 8, we provide a spring finger 13 upon the under side and lower portion of the attaching arm 10, securing the lower portion of the finger to an appropriate portion of the attaching arm 10 or if need be, to a convenient portion of the drum 8, by welding, soldering or other suitable means common in the art. The upper and free I end of the spring retaining finger 13 is preferably provided with a folded over lip 14 whereby to facilitate the introduction of a portion of the electric cord 6 into the space occurring between the finger 13 and the adjacent portion of the arm 10. Obviously, by moving a portion 01 the electric cord 6 into the space occurring between the arm 10 and the finger 13, a spring clamping engagement of the cord will be effected and because of this, the undesirable uncoiling or displacement of the coiled portion of said wire 6 from the drum 8 will be prevented; the uncoiled or outer portion of the wire 6 being extended from the base 1 so as to permit, if desired, the electrical connection of the plug 7 with a suitable source of electricity supply.

The attachment of our improved electric cord retaining device to a lamp base is materially facilitated by reason of the relative positioning of the upper end of the arm 10 carrying the upwardly extending externally screw threaded sleeve 12 with respect to the drum 8. In this connection, it will be noted that in the illustrated embodiment,the screw threaded sleeve 12 is disposed approximately coincidentally with the longitudinal axis of the drum 8, hence, permitting of the turning of the screw threaded sleeve 12 into the adjacent portion of the internally screw threaded opening 13 with rotation of the drum 8.

In the Figure 3, we have shown a slightly modified form of attaching arm for the wire receiving and retaining drum, the attaching arm 10 being provided upon its upper and free end with an internally screw threaded collar 15 which is adapted to be turned over and onto the extended screw threaded lower end of the lamp standard connecting pipe 5'; it being understood in this connection, that the length of the connection pipe 5' is such that it may be turned through the internally screw threaded opening 3 of the lamp base 1 downwardly into the cupped under side or lamp base 1, whereupon the internally screw threaded collar 15 of the drum attaching arm 10 is engaged thereover. The electric wire or cord 6', of course, passes from the open lower end of the connecting pipe 5 into the cupped under side portion of the base 1 and corresponds with the cord 6, described in connection with the preceding embodiment of the invention.

From the foregoing, it will be understood by workers skilled in this art, that we have provided an extremely novel and highly advantageous device for retaining the attaching electric cord of a portable electric lamp, permitting of said attaching portion of the electric cord tov be wound or coiled about the drum 8 to the extent desired, whereupon the free or outer portion of such cord is engaged between the adjacent portion of the drum attaching arm and the spring clamping finger 13, thereby allowing the extended portion of the electric cord to be paid out from the lamp base and engaged with a suitable source of electricity supply. The length of electric cord extended from the lamp base may, accordingly, be paid on therefrom, so that the same substantially corresponds to the distance between the positioning of the lamp and the source of electricity supply therefor. Consequently upon this, it will be understood that the presence of an excessive amount of wire about or in proximity to the lamp base or in the space as between the equipped lamp and the source of electricity supply therefor will be prevented. By preventing the presence of an excessive amount of electric cord, it will be understood that not only will the neatness of appearance of the lamp be enhanced, but furthermore, that the kinking of the excessive portions of cord will be prevented andthat excessive wear thereof will be avoided. Also, it will be understood that the entire length of electric cord 6 extending from the standard connecting pipe may be coiled about the retaining drum, rather than having a portion thereof extended from the lamp base, hence, rendering the invention particularly advantageous for usage during the shipping or storing of portable electric lamps.

Manifestly, the construction shown is capable of considerable modification, and such modification as is within the scope of our claims, we consider within the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. In combination with a portable electric lamp including a base and a lamp standard fixedly engaged in said base having its lower end extended for a distance downwardly into the base, an electric lamp cord retaining device received by the lamp base adjacent the underside thereof, said device having fixed connection with the extended lower end of said standard and beyond the point of connection of the standard with the base, and means on said device for releasably receiving and securing a portion of the elec-' tric cord whereby to secure that part of said cord engaged with the retaining device against displacement.

2. In combination with a portable electric lamp including a base and a lamp standard, said standard being engaged with the base and having a portion of its lower end extended downwardly from the base to a point beyond its point of conthe base and normally concealed from view thereby, an arm extended from the cord retaining device detachably engaged with the extended lower end of said standard for effecting a fixed support of the device with respect to the base, and means on the device for releasably and detachably receiving a portion of the electric lamp cord whereby to retain that part of'said cord engaged with said device against displacement.

3. In combination with a portable electric lamp base and standard, a horizontally positioned annulus received within said base and accessible from the under side of the base whereby to permit of the manual coiling or uncoiling of the electric lamp cord thereupon or therefrom, an extension from said annulus connected at its free end to the lamp base adjacent the point of jointure between the base and the standard for supporting the annulus within the base, and means carried by said extension for releasably securing a portion of the electric cord whereby to secure that part of said cord engaged with the annulus against displacement.

4. In combination with a portable electric lamp base and standard, electric cord receiving and retaining means within the lamp base accessible from the under side of said base whereby to permit of the coiling or uncoiling of the lamp electric cord upon or from the same, an upwardly disposed arm fixed at one end to a portion of said electric cord receiving and retaining means, the upper end of said arm being co-incidentally disposed with the vertical axis of said electric cord receiving and retaining means and being connected to the base adjacent its point of jointure with the standard, and means adjacent a portion of said arm inwardly spaced from the electric cord receiving and retaining means adapted to releasably secure a portion of the electric cord whereby to secure that part of said cord engaged with the receiving and retaining means against displacement.

LOUIS BROSILOW. WILLIAM MARKOFF. JOHN OROSZ. 

